Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivered a strong message during Monday’s Cabinet meeting, stressing that clientelist practices will not be tolerated, particularly in the wake of the recent agricultural subsidy scandal of OPEKEPE. Addressing the issue directly, he announced that the government is responding by placing the organization under the full oversight of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), marking a shift toward stricter control and greater transparency.
“The state has proven inadequate in addressing the chronic dysfunctions of OPEKEPE,” Mitsotakis said in his opening remarks. “That’s why we’ve taken decisive action and placed it under the full responsibility of the AADE.”
He went on to say that “old-party mentalities—even within our own ranks—will no longer be accepted. We must reject the logic of mutual blame. We are already turning the page, in cooperation with European authorities, to reform the agricultural subsidy system.”
Speaking directly to his ministers, he emphasized that “society now demands a different model of political conduct.”
Mitsotakis announced the creation of a special investigative task force composed of members from the Financial Police and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. The task force has been assigned a clear mandate to carry out a prompt and comprehensive investigation, utilizing all available state audit mechanisms.
Its goal is to uncover any instances of unlawful subsidy disbursements and to ensure that improperly received funds are fully recovered in line with legal procedures.
He also acknowledged the pressing need for long-delayed structural reform, assuming responsibility not only for the current administration but also for previous governments that failed to address systemic shortcomings.
Emphasizing the necessity of institutional change—even at political cost—he underlined the importance of moving beyond entrenched clientelist practices and re-establishing a robust, transparent relationship between citizens and the state.
He concluded by once again highlighting gov.gr as both a symbol and a practical tool for the state’s much-needed digital and administrative transformation.
An investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens first uncovered and published findings pointing to corruption and outright fraud by the now disbanded Greek Payment Authority of Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P.), known as OKEKEPE.
